Animation for Beginners: How to Animate a Character Running | Envato Tuts+ (2024)

In this tutorial we will be animating a cycle of a character running. In this case, the character will appear to be running in place. If this run cycle were to be incorporated into a movie, perhaps a background scrolling from right to left would be behind the character. Walks and runs are somewhat challenging, but also extremely fun to animate!

1.Animate the Character

Step 1

Start by drawing our floor guidelines. As with a walkcycle, when I animate I like to draw a guideline for each foot so the footfallsare consistent.

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A run is similar to animating a walk cycle. When a characterwalks, the character’s head is usually highest in the passing position of thelegs. Then the character “catches” himself with one leg, andthen the next leg goes into the passing position.

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When a character runs, both feet leave the ground, whereasin a walk cycle one foot is always in contact with the ground.

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Step 2

With our first drawing, I like to start with the foot contactpose, heel first.

I like to work rough and sketchy. It's good to get theanimation and posing right before we add the arms. Let’s worry about getting thefooting right, and then we’ll worry about the arms. In this tutorial I am going to animate "straight ahead" instead of doing poses and in-betweens.

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Step 3

Plant that foot! In drawing 2, the foot farther from us makes fullcontact with the ground. Theleg closer to us (his right leg) then starts to come forward. Notice how theright leg is overlapping the left leg as it comes forward.

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Step 4

Let's do our drawing 3. Since we are animating a cycle and the character is runningin place, that left foot that is planted on the ground “slides” back as the legcloser to us comes forward.

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Step 5

In drawing 4, the foot comes forward.

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In this slide, I have overlapped our first four drawings so that you can see how our most recent drawing is placed in juxtaposition to the other drawings. Our fourth drawing is in black; note how the foot planted on the floor slides back. This creates the illusion that the character is running in place. In a movie or video, perhaps a scrolling background would be added.

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Step 6

In drawing 5 we have lift-off! Both the feet are off the ground!

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Note that in drawing 5, the character is higher compared to drawing 6.

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Step 7

In drawing 6, the character is still in the air. The character now beginsthe inevitable descent to the ground.

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Step 8

In drawing 7, the character's foot makes first contact with theground, heel first, Now we are repeating the same action that we just animated, but on the character's left leg.

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Step 9

Then that foot gets planted nice and firm on the ground. Make each drawing look balanced, or the character looks as if he will fall over! We don't want that!

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Step 10

As with the character’s right leg, in drawing 9 the leg farther from usnow moves forward, passing the other leg.Animation for Beginners: How to Animate a Character Running | Envato Tuts+ (40)Work rough! Don't be afraid to draw through the character to determine how that back leg is anchored to the body.

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Step 11

Lift-off! In drawing 10, the leg pushes off and the character is higher up.We are repeating the action that we did for the right leg.

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Step 12

As before, the character’s feet leave the ground in drawing 11.

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Step 13

Still off the ground, the character moves a littleforward/lower for drawing 12. And since this is a cycle, when we play this animation back, drawing 12 hooked up with drawing 1! Good job!

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You've been working hard! Let's take a look at our animation so far. Good job!!

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I have highlighted the leg closer to us in red so you can clearly see the legs in relation to one another.

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2.Animate the Arms!!

When animating a run, the right arm usually swings forward when theleft leg moves forward, and then when the right leg comes forward the left arm swings forward with the leg.

Step 1

Let's work on adding our arms. Remember, the leg farther from us is forward, andthe arm closer to us is forward. The leg closer to us is back, and the armfarther from us is mirroring its action and back as well.

Don't worry about the getting details perfect—work sketchy and rough get the movement right before you worry about detail. My arms are basically skeletal sticks. Sketching's the way!

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Step 2

As the right leg crosses the other leg, the arms arebasically in the middle as they pass each other.

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Step 3

Keep those arms pumping!

The left arm starts to come forward as the right leg startsto come forward, so too, with the arm closer to us as it moves back along withthe back leg as it slides back.

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Step 4

Keep going! Work rough, and notice how the arm closer to use is further back to match the movement of the left leg?

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Step 5

Keep going! You’re doing a great job!

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Step 6

Finish up those arms.

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That looks great! Let's see how our runanimation looks with our new arms!

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3.Neaten and Sweeten

Now that we have our action down, we can clean up our line with a dark line. Make it really look sweet. Add details. In our case I'll indicate an eye, but I won't make it super detailed—just enough to make it convincing.

Step 1

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Step 2

Keep going—it's looking great! I use a medium-sized brush tip to ink my character. The line doesn't have to be perfect—actually, the more imperfect, the more your special style shows through. Some studios work with a flawless ink line. In this case we'll have fun and work kind of loose.

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Step 3

As the character pushes up on one leg during the run I took the liberty of adding a little bit of a "bob" to his head by making the eye on his head lower. This gives the head a "swivel" effect as his head swivels down on his neck.

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Step 4

I made his eye even lower to complete the "bob" effect.

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Step 5

You're almost done! Finish cleaning up all the frames.

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Awesome Work, You're Now Done!

In a few steps you created an animated run that you can be proud of! You can try experimenting with different character types in your special style! Work rough, sketch out your character, and just have fun! Keep animating!

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Animation for Beginners: How to Animate a Character Running | Envato Tuts+ (2024)
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